Seventy years and going strong.

The Nesquehoning Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8008 held its 70th birthday celebration service recently at the post home, 300 E. Center St.Richard K. Ellis, Commander, Nesquehoning Memorial VFW Post 8008, thanked everyone for coming out to the celebration."Our mission is to help and support the community, especially the veterans and their families," Ellis said. "I want to thank everybody for your continued support."Cheri Santore, president of the VFW Auxiliary to Nesquehoning Memorial Post 8008, thanked members of the VFW and Auxiliary for their continued support of the community and community programs."This place is near and dear to my heart," Santore said.State Rep. Doyle Heffley lauded all the veterans who not only serve, but also continue to come back to teach their lessons and relay their stories.Heffley then thanked the VFW for its longevity."Seventy years, that's an incredible accomplishment," Heffley said.Heffley then presented a citation to Ellis.Henry Desrosiers, director of Carbon County Veterans Affairs, praised the VFW for being one of the core veterans posts working with other organizations.Desrosiers said it was a "pleasure and honor" for him to be representing the county at the celebration.Byron Miller, Senior Vice Commander, District 20, was equally complimentary of the VFW."This is a great group here," Miller said.Guyette Calles, VFW Auxiliary President, District 20, was emotional as she spoke."Thank you veterans from the bottom of my heart," Calles said. "It inspires me to continue to work with everybody here because you are all one family."Rob Feinsilber, Commander of Nesquehoning American Legion Post 172, said his goal is to get more people his age involved."We've got to get the younger veterans to help our older veterans," Fensilber said. "We need to get more people involved."After the service, guests enjoyed a birthday cake to commemorate 70-plus successful years of service to the veterans and their families of the borough of Nesquehoning, Carbon County, and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.The Nesquehoning Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post was "mustered in" by Federal Charter, July 22, 1946, after years of organizing by veterans who returned from World War I and World War II.